Enchantments and Bonus Types - stacking?

[Ryltar]

Hi all,

there's a question that's been on my mind for a while now, and I hope there's someone on these boards who can help me come up with an answer . Here goes:

1. Magic weapons with a +x enhancement (for example, a longsword +2) deal two different damage types: Slashing (the longsword) and magic (the +2 enhancement).

2. Magic armor with said enhancement (let's take a breastplate +2) grants an armor bonus (the breastplate) and ... then what? Does the +2 constitute a basic armor bonus? Or is it deflection? I'm not too sure on this one - guessing "armor", if just for simplicity/stacking reasons, but then again, that would be kind of weird, considering 1.

I haven't found anything that clarifies this, but maybe it's just my failing eyesight . Anyone?

 

[reanjr]

Hi all,

there's a question that's been on my mind for a while now, and I hope there's someone on these boards who can help me come up with an answer . Here goes:

1. Magic weapons with a +x enhancement (for example, a longsword +2) deal two different damage types: Slashing (the longsword) and magic (the +2 enhancement).

2. Magic armor with said enhancement (let's take a breastplate +2) grants an armor bonus (the breastplate) and ... then what? Does the +2 constitute a basic armor bonus? Or is it deflection? I'm not too sure on this one - guessing "armor", if just for simplicity/stacking reasons, but then again, that would be kind of weird, considering 1.

I haven't found anything that clarifies this, but maybe it's just my failing eyesight . Anyone?

Both the bonus on the weapon and the bonus on the armor are applied to their respective items and not to the character using them. The breastplate (AC +5) gets a +2 enhancement bonus to its AC. The character, on the other hand gets a +7 Armor bonus to their AC. They do not get an enhancement bonus at all.

Same with the weapon. The longsword gets an enhancement bonus to its damage. All the damage caused (1d8+2 in this case) is still slashing damage. It happens to ignore DR/magic, but the damage type does not change to magic.

 

[Telperion]

The key word you are looking for is "enhancement".

The enhancement bonus on a weapon (+2 longsword) enhances the weapons attack bonus and damage. Therefore both of the bonuses become part of the weapon's properties and stack with every other bonus except with another enhancement bonus. The +2 enhancement bonus isn't considered magical damage, but simply additional damage you deal when you hit. Since the weapon has an enhancement bonus it is considered magical when overcoming DR.

Its the same thing with an armor. A +2 enhancement bonus is applied to the armor and becomes part of the armors properties. It now has an enhancement bonus that stacks with any other bonus other than another enhancement bonus. So, a +2 breastplate would give +7 armor bonus to AC and have its armor check penalty lowered by one due to being masterwork.

Special properties, both in armors and weapons, can add different kinds of bonuses or types to a weapon or armor. For example a +2 Holy Longsword has the regular +2 enhancement bonus, it is considered magical when overcoming DR due to its enhancement bonus, it is considered Good due to its Holy property and it deals +2d6 points of damage to Evil creatures due to its Holy property.

Hope this clears things up a bit.

 

[Ryltar]

Allright, reanjir, thanks a lot! Now, I've just got one question left:

Same with the weapon. The longsword gets an enhancement bonus to its damage. All the damage caused (1d8+2 in this case) is still slashing damage. It happens to ignore DR/magic, but the damage type does not change to magic.

Does this make the whole 1d8+2 ignore DR/magic, or just 2 points of damage ignore it, while the 1d8 still fall under damage reduction rules?

[edit]Thanks to you, too, Telperion.

The +2 enhancement bonus isn't considered magical damage, but simply additional damage you deal when you hit. Since the weapon has an enhancement bonus it is considered magical.

This would support the "all damage ignores DR/magic because weapon has an enhancement bonus" theory .

 

[reanjr]

Allright, reanjir, thanks a lot! Now, I've just got one question left:



Does this make the whole 1d8+2 ignore DR/magic, or just 2 points of damage ignore it, while the 1d8 still fall under damage reduction rules?

All of it. The damage isn't magical, just as a silver weapon doesn't cause "silver damage" rather than slashing or piercing. But by being silver (or magical, etc.) the weapon's entire damage ignores the DR.

[edit]Thanks to you, too, Telperion.



This would support the "all damage ignores DR/magic because weapon has an enhancement bonus" theory .

 

[Telperion]

Does this make the whole 1d8+2 ignore DR/magic, or just 2 points of damage ignore it, while the 1d8 still fall under damage reduction rules?

If an attack by-passes DR all of the damage is dealt. However if a creature has more than one type of DR they all have to be by-passed before full damage can be applied. Example: lets say that an evil wizard has cast Stoneskin on his Vrock (demon) pet. The wizard orders his pet to attack a heroic paladin who is armed with the +2 Holy Longsword described in the previous example.

The Vrock has a "natural" DR of 10 / Good. The Stoneskin spell has also given it a DR of 10 / adamantine. If the paladin's sword happens to be crafted of adamantine then everything is fine. The sword will be considered Good due to its Holy property and Adamantine due to the fact that the weapon has been crafted from that metal. However if the paladin's sword is just ordinary steel every attack will by-pass the 10 / Good DR, but be reduced by the 10 / Adamantine DR.

 

[Telperion]

Final note:

Damage Reductions don't stack with each other.

In the previous example the paladin had a +2 Holy Longsword. That weapon was capable of by-passing the 10 / Good DR of the Vrock, but was reduced by the 10 / Adamantine. However, if the paladin had been carrying around a regular +2 longsword every attack would have been reduced either by 10 / Good or 10 / Adamantine, but not by both. In any case where a creature has more than one type of DR the best DR is applied and any other DR is ignored.

 

[Ryltar]

Thanks again . This makes me think twice about Soulknifes in my campaign.